The surname "van der Poll" is of Dutch and German origin. It is a locational name from any of several places named Poll in Germany and the Netherlands. These places include towns in North Rhine-Westphalia, Lower Saxony, and Groningen provinces in Germany, as well as a village in the province of Noord-Brabant in the Netherlands. The name is derived from the Old High German word "bol" or "bouwe," meaning farm or settlement, which was incorporated into the Old Dutch word "polder," meaning low-lying land reclaimed from water. Therefore, "van der Poll" can be translated as "from the farm/settlement in the polder."
Learn more about the origin of the last name Van-der-poll
The meaning and origin of the last name Van-der-poll
The surname Van der Poll is a Dutch toponymic name, which means "from the poll (or low lying piece of land)". It is derived from a specific place named 'Van der Poll', which may have existed in several places in the Netherlands, though the exact origin is unclear due to centuries of spelling variations. Toponymic surnames were among the most common in the Middle Ages, when people often took their names from the place where they lived or worked. In this case, 'Van der Poll' may have referred to a specific piece of land that was owned by a family, and over time, the name became hereditary. The surname Van der Poll can be found among Dutch and Afrikaner populations today, due to historical migrations from the Netherlands to South Africa.
Geographical distribution of the last name Van-der-poll
The surname Van der Poll is predominantly found in Dutch and South African populations due to its Dutch origin. In the Netherlands, it is most concentrated in the provinces of North Holland and Zuid-Holland, reflecting the region's historical significance as the heartland of the Netherlands. Outside of the Netherlands, a significant number of Van der Poll descendants can be found in South Africa, particularly in the Western Cape province, where they were among the early Dutch settlers. The name is also sporadically present in other parts of the world due to migration, with some families traced back to Belgium, Germany, and the United States.
Variants and spellings of the last name Van-der-poll
The surname Van der Poll has various spelling variations, reflecting differences in transcription and transliteration over time. Some of these include: Van der Poll, Van der Poel, Van der Pool, Van der Pohl, Van der Pol, Van der Poelh, Van der Poole, Van der Polle, and Van der Poell. These variations may arise due to factors such as the regional dialect, the scribe's interpretation of the name, or errors in record keeping. Regardless of spelling, all these versions are believed to be derived from the Dutch "van den Poll" which translates to "of the mill" in English, indicating a geographical origin related to a mill.
Famous people with the last name Van-der-poll
Notable individuals with the surname Van der Poll include:
1. Jan Van der Poll (1392–1473), a Dutch medieval knight and the Lord of Polanen, who played an important role during the Great War against Duke Albrecht of Bavaria in 1422.
2. Johan van der Pol (1896-1956), a Dutch mathematician and physicist who is best known for his work on mathematical models of electrical circuits, which are now known as Van der Pol equations.
3. Henk van der Pol (born 1949), a former professional tennis player from the Netherlands, who reached a career-high ATP singles ranking of World No. 7 in 1970 and won the men's doubles title at Wimbledon in 1973 with John Newcombe.
4. Daphne van der Koay-Van der Poll (born 1962), a South African-born Dutch artist who is known for her intricate, large-scale tapestry and embroidery works.
5. Tom van der Poll (born 1975), a Dutch former professional footballer who played as a defender for clubs like Ajax and Feyenoord. He represented the Netherlands at international level and won the UEFA Champions League with Ajax in 1995.
Genealogical research on the last name Van-der-poll
The van der Poll surname is believed to have originated from the Netherlands, specifically the province of Gelderland. The name can be translated as "from the pool" or "at the pool," suggesting an early inhabitant lived near a body of water. One of the earliest records of this family lineage is Arnoldus van der Poll who was born in Echteld, Gelderland, around 1540. His descendants migrated to various regions across Europe and eventually to North America, with notable settlements in South Africa, Brazil, and the United States. In the U.S., the van der Poll family is primarily found in states like California, Florida, and Michigan. Some prominent individuals bearing this surname include Johannes van der Poll, a Dutch colonial merchant and governor, and the Van der Pol brothers, Pieter and Balthasar, renowned physicists and mathematicians who made significant contributions to the field of nonlinear dynamics.
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